This program is a unique and inspiring three-day teacher workshop with emphasis on hands-on natural science and physical science investigations. The program uses technology that is designed for use in and out of the classroom. Field trips to the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Pans Garden and other natural areas are included.

The program is hosted by The Arthur R. Marshall Foundation for the Everglades, the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, and the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach.

Join us June 10-12, from 8:30am to 3:30pm. The program is limited to 20 participants and teachers are eligible to received 30 points for professional development (pending approval). The fee is $35 and registration is May 22 – June 7. Email Diana Wilson for additional information.

Please click link below to see full list

20 Years

Upthegrove,Russell A 5/10/1993
Wark,Lewis J 5/17/1993
Alfonso,Oscar 5/17/1993
Janiec,David 5/17/1993
Carcache,Nelson 5/17/1993
Loomis,Steven E 5/17/1993
McGehe Jr.,Robert E 5/17/1993
Tesch II,Ernest L 5/17/1993
Davis Jr.,George H 5/24/1993
Burgos,Ever 5/26/1993
15 Years

Gutierrez,Roberto 5/4/1998
Torres,Jose 5/6/1998
10 Years

Aiello,Frank T 5/7/2003
Hughes,Kenneth J 5/16/2003
Thomas,Tracey V 5/16/2003
Ellison,Frank S 5/16/2003
Ferguson,Gail R 5/16/2003
Buchanan Jr.,Maurice H 5/16/2003

5 Years

Damiano,Nicholas J 5/7/2008
Nance,Miriam 5/9/2008
Rolle,Isaac A 5/12/2008
Lopez,Jose M 5/12/2008
Silva,Antonio 5/12/2008
Williams Jr.,George 5/12/2008
Williams,Simeon 5/27/2008
Lichtman,Ray Laurence 5/27/2008
Miodini,Paul C 5/27/2008

Please click the link below to see the full list

1 Fashaw, Priscilla
1 Lawson, Luther
1 Smith, Tammy
1 Thomas, Denise
2 Hughes, Nancy
2 Parry, David
2 Verna, Jean
2 Lopez, Mirela
3 Diaz, Pio
4 Corbiere, Alicia
4 Potts, Annette
4 Fong, Kin
5 Townsend, Donald
5 Nair, Leelamma
5 Black, David
5 Rankin, Shelbie
6 Colas, Raimundo
6 Camille, Jean
7 Riggleman, Ruby
7 Black, Mark
7 Wagner, Linda
7 Dorceus, Fillette
8 Myers, Calvin
8 Zamor, Michel
8 Friedle, Walter
8 Smith, Nikketa
9 Thomas, Rahkela
10 Chapman, Kevin
10 Myrick, Patricia
10 Dorvilier, Herold
11 Hirsch, Andrea
11 Gomez, Ana
11 Glover, Susie
11 Oliver, Patrica
12 Raphael, Faniel
12 Munoz, Raul
13 Griffin, Alfred
13 Jacobus, Edward
13 Thomas, Heath
13 Hudson, Shakirg
13 Jean-Jacques, Robert
13 Miller, Rhonda
14 Molina, John
14 Brown, Lutarsher
15 Dale, Delorise
15 Smith, Renee
15 Dorcile, Charlotte
15 Nance, Miriam
15 Martinez Hernandez, Guillermo
16 Kelly, Joann
16 Scott, Flesena
16 Bock, Douglas
16 Fernandez, Uvaldo
16 Harris, Mark
17 Black, Latasha
18 Brinkman, Catherine
18 Stewart, Nancy
18 Vinson, Lynne
18 Sanchez, Luis
19 Jackson, Rosemary
19 Montelier, David
19 Harden, Delores
20 Dunbar-Glee, Yvonne
20 Dixon, Owen
20 Rhayem, Rawad
20 Pinkney, Cheryl
21 Brisson, Yvon
21 Rodriguez, Francisco
21 Gutierrez, Brian
22 Armbruster, Glen
22 Simmons, Douglas
22 Ferguson, Gail
24 Hollis, Deryl
24 Willams, Vickesha
25 Hester, Iarea
26 Johnson, Kenneth
26 Gilles, Sandra
26 Kerr, Annie
26 McGehe, Robert
26 Nozistel, Francklin
27 Laguerre, Max
27 Christie, Wesley
27 Rumph, Yvonne
27 Pierre Louis, Warner
27 Jean Pierre, Kimberly
27 Harper, Houphouet
28 Francois, Margarett
28 Jackson, Marilyn
28 Hogarth, Alfred
29 Ford, Teresa
29 Fonseca, Ernesto
29 Ruesta, Ruben
29 Davis, William
30 Cuff, Barbara
30 Ulysse, Yolanda
30 Wasnock, Eileen
31 Huggins, Dorothy
31 Fortune, Nour Lane
31 Woods, Sandra

Asthma is a life-long disease that robs individuals of their ability to breathe. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) almost 10% of children under the age of 18 suffer from the effects of asthma. In children, boys are slightly more at risk than girls. For school-age children with the disease, four days of instructional time are lost on average each year due to the illness. In 2007 alone, asthma-related medical care, lost work days and lost school days exceeded 56 billion.

Asthma is also on the increase. From 2001 to 2009 the rate for African-American children grew by a whopping 50%.  In the general population, another 5 million were diagnosed with the disease during the same time period.

Although the causes for asthma are poorly understood, it can be managed successfully with a proper action plan and sound medical guidance. There are effective medications available and asthma triggers including second-hand smoke, mold and outdoor air pollution have been identified.

The School District has partnered with the American Lung Association through two very unique programs to help combat asthma. The Open Airways program provides medical guidance through our school centers and the Asthma-Friendly Schools program seeks to reduce or eliminate asthma triggers in District facilities.

New Chief of Support Operations

Please join us welcoming Tony Rivas as the new Chief of our Division of Support Operations.  Mr. Rivas comes with an extensive background including his role as president of Rivas Consultants, Director of Educational Facilities at W.G. Mills as well as over fifteen years as Director of Facilities Design and Construction for Pinellas County Schools.  Mr. Rivas’ first day is Monday, May 6th.

As a Division, we all look forward to getting to know Mr. Rivas and continue our world class efforts to support student achievement.

SECOND ANNUAL U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GREEN RIBBON SCHOOLS ANNOUNCED; FIRST-EVER DISTRICT AWARDEES NAMED

Award Honors Schools and Districts for Reducing Environmental Impact and Costs; Improving Health; and Offering Environmental Education

 April 22, 2013

Chair of White House Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley and Acting Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Bob Persiacepe joined U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today to announce the second annual U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools award honorees.

 Sixty-four schools were honored for their exemplary efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, promote better health, and ensure effective environmental education, including civics and green career pathways. In addition, 14 districts were honored for the first-ever District Sustainability Award.  Duncan, Persiacepe, and Sutley made the announcement at Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School, in Washington, DC, one of the 2013 honored schools.

The schools were confirmed from a pool of candidates voluntarily nominated by 32 state education agencies.   The list of selectees includes 54 public schools and 10 private schools. The public schools include seven charter, five magnet and four career and technical schools. The schools serve various grade levels, including 40 elementary, 23 middle and 19 high schools are among them, with several schools having various K-12 configurations, from 29 states and the District of Columbia.  Over half of the 2013 honorees serve a student body more than 40 percent of which is eligible for free and reduced price lunch.  The list of all selected schools and districts, as well as their nomination packages, can be found here.  A report with highlights on the 78 honorees can be found here.

“Today’s honorees are modeling a comprehensive approach to being green,” said Secretary Duncan. “They are demonstrating ways schools can simultaneously cut costs; improve health, performance and equity; and provide an education geared toward the jobs of the future. In fact, the selected districts are saving millions of dollars as a result of their greening efforts. And the great thing is that the resources these honorees are using are available for free to all schools.”

“Preparing students for success in the 21st century economy begins in our schools. The schools and districts being honored today are modeling the best practices in reducing environmental impact and cutting costs, creating a healthier learning environment, and providing students with an education geared toward the jobs of the future,” said Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley.

“EPA is proud to join the Department of Education in recognizing our nation’s U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools for their remarkable efforts to create healthier learning spaces and educate students on the importance of environmental protection,” said EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe. “U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools are not only cutting costs thanks to energy-saving practices and use of more efficient technology, but they’re also reducing instances of pollution-related illnesses like asthma, a leading cause of student absence. The students who attend these schools are better prepared than ever to become the next generation of environmental stewards and bring about a healthier, more sustainable future.”

The Department is looking forward to a third year of award, and will be publishing updated competition criteria this summer, once again working closely with participating states, collaborating organizations and partner agencies.  State education agencies are encouraged to indicate intent to nominate schools in 2014 by August 1, 2013.

More information on the federal recognition award can be found here.  Resources for all schools to move toward the three Pillars in which the 2013 honorees are exemplary can be found here.

Alabama

• Harriette W. Gwin Elementary School

Hoover, AL

• Munford Middle School and Munford High School

Munford, AL

• Fayetteville High School

Sylacauga, AL

• Talladega County

Arkansas

• Fayetteville District

California

• Charles Evans Hughes Middle School

Long Beach, CA

• Journey School

Aliso Viejo, CA

• Redding School of the Arts II

Redding, CA

• Prospect Sierra School

El Cerrito, CA

• Oak Park Unified School District

Colorado

• Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School

Ft. Collins, CO

• Douglas County School District

Connecticut

• Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet School

New Haven, CT

• Environmental Sciences Magnet School at Mary Hooker

Hartford, CT

• Common Ground High School

New Haven, CT

Delaware

• St. Andrew’s School

Middletown, DE

District of Columbia

• Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School

Washington, DC

• Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School

Washington, DC

• Woodrow Wilson High School

Washington, DC

Florida

• Driftwood Middle School

Hollywood, FL

• St. Paul Lutheran School

Lakeland, FL

• School District of Palm Beach County

Georgia

• Ford Elementary School,

Acworth, GA

• Gwinnett County Public Schools

Indiana

• Guion Creek Middle School

Indianapolis, IN

Iowa

• Starmont Community School

Arlington IA

• Des Moines Independent Community School District

Kansas

• Bluejacket-Flint Elementary School

Shawnee, KS

Kentucky

• Cane Run Elementary School

Louisville, KY

• Northern Elementary School

Georgetown, KY

• Locust Trace AgriScience Farm

Lexington, KY

Maryland

• Cedar Grove Elementary School

Germantown, MD

• Summit Hall Elementary School

Gaithersburg, MD

• Montgomery County Public Schools

Massachusetts

• Manchester Essex Regional Middle High School

Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA

• Quincy High School

Quincy, MA

• Berkshire School

Sheffield, MA

• Acton Public Schools and Acton-Boxborough Regional School District

Minnesota

• Jeffers Pond Elementary School

Prior Lake, MN

• Heritage E-STEM Middle School

West St. Paul, MN

• School of Environmental Studies

Apple Valley, MN

• Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools

Mississippi

• Watkins Elementary School

Jackson, MS

Nebraska

• King Science and Technology Magnet Center

Omaha, NE

New Hampshire

• Phillips Exeter Academy

Exeter, NH

New Jersey

• Bedwell Elementary School

Bernardsville, NJ

• Summerfield Elementary School

Neptune, NJ

New York

• Crompond School

Yorktown Heights, NY

• PS 057 Hubert H. Humphrey

Staten Island, NY

• Rye Country Day School

Rye, NY

Ohio

• Kenston High School

Chagrin Falls, OH

Pennsylvania

• Albert M. Greenfield Elementary School

Philadelphia, PA

• Broughal Community Middle School

Bethlehem, PA

• Nazareth Area Middle School

Nazareth, PA

• Westtown School

West Chester, PA

• Lower Merion School District

Rhode Island

• The Compass School

Kingston, RI

• Providence Career and Technical Academy

Providence, RI

Tennessee

• Ivy Academy

Soddy-Daisy, TN

• Lipscomb Academy Elementary School

Nashville, TN

Vermont

• Reading Elementary School

Reading, VT

• St. Albans City School

St. Albans, VT

• Shelburne Community School

Shelburne, VT

Virginia

• Stony Point Elementary School

Keswick, VA

• Magna Vista High School

Ridgeway, VA

Washington

• Glacier Park Elementary School

Maple Valley, WA

• Sacajawea Elementary School

Vancouver, WA

• Tahoma Senior High School

Covington, WA

• The Evergreen School

Shoreline, WA

• Kent School District

West Virginia

• Hometown Elementary School

Red House, WV

• Petersburg Elementary School

Petersburg, WV

• Marshall County Schools

Wisconsin

• Summit Environmental School

La Crosse, WI

• Westlawn Elementary School

Cedarburg, WI

• Jefferson Elementary-Fox River Academy

Appleton, WI

• Racine Montessori School

Racine, WI

• School District of Fort Atkinson

East Transportation only services Exceptional NeedStudents and complete a daily pre/post-trip bus inspection ensuring wheelchair lifts are operational.  Transportation Services lift buses can transport up to five ambulatory students along with a number of other non-ambulatory Exceptional Needs Students.

Shop mechanics also make last minute repairs in the morning to assist the operations staff with buses and remain on call to service mechanical break downs.

Diana Tiffenberg is retiring from the School District of Palm Beach County after 27 years.  Diana started with the District Oct. 20, 1986.  We all gathered this morning, her last day April 15th, for a breakfast in her honor and to say goodbye.  She is leaving to a new job with a lot of worldwide travel.  She took a month’s vacation to try it out and loved it, so we are loosing another great employee to new and better opportunities.  We will miss her!